az/slovenian hive adventure
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AZ/Slovenian Hive Adventure
Kay Crawford
www.BeeInspiredGarden.com
2019
Unique Design
The AZ hive is designed to go inside a building (or truck). The front of the hive, where the bees enter, is typically built as part of the building wall.
The beekeeper works the hive from the back of the hive while standing inside the building. Each “box” is the equivalent of a 10 frame Langstroth deep and they are separated by sliding “floor” partitions (solid, slat or queen excluder).
AZ hives can come in two, three or four box configurations, though the hive is one solid hive. In other words, the hive is one solid structure divided internally into 10 frame boxes.
AZ FramesAZ frames are concave on the top and bottom and slide into the hive from the back, resting on three metal rods.
Unlike Langstroth frames, the AZ frames are kept separated from each other by tooth-like metal spacers at the front of the hive and on the screen doors.
Due to this clever design, AZ frames do not touch each other and only touch the bottom support rods at six tiny spots, almost eliminating the propolis issues found with the Langstroth hives.
In the Bee-ginning…
We had a tack room built under the roof overhang on the southeast side of our barn, which had originally been where the cattle were fed.
Once I retired from a lifetime of keeping horses, this room became my beekeeping equipment storage area.
Future AZ Bee House
The adjacent 9’ x 11’ area had a sloped concrete floor and was open to the inside of the barn.
Observation Window
On the wall facing the inside of the barn, we installed a 2’ x 5’ sliding window.
This way people could watch us work the hives from inside the (shady and cool) barn and not be exposed to the bees.
FramingWe used the existing sliding glass door as access to what will become the “Honey House”, where we will be able to process the honey without bee interference.
We added an 36” exterior door for wheelchair access and a “bee escape” window that would also help with cross ventilation.
Meanwhile, the 8’ x 11’ mural was started…Humans base their color combinations on red, blue and green, while bees base their colors on ultraviolet light, blue and green. This is the reason why bees can’t see the color red. They don’t have a photoreceptor for it. They can, however, see reddish wavelengths, such as yellow and orange. They can also see blue-green, blue, violet, and “bee’s purple.” Bee’s purple is a combination of yellow and ultraviolet light. That’s why humans can’t see it. The most likely colors to attract bees, according to scientists, are purple, violet and blue…. (https://www.beeculture.com/bees-see-matters/)
I put together a photo collage of “UV flowers” for my inspiration. Since 2015, artist Craig Burrows (http://www.cpburrows.com/) has been shining a light on how flowers look under UV light, a style known as ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence photography.
Artist Process…
I sketched out the design on a grid… …then transferred it onto a larger cardboard mock-up.
Artist Process…
I played with colors on the cardboard mock-up…
…then painted two coats of the background color on three sheets of T1-11 siding.
Artist Process…
I gridded the paneling with painter’s tape and free hand sketched the design with chalk…
…and then painted for 19 hours! (Note to self: it is very hard to paint clean edges on rough T1-11 siding!)
Artist Process…
The varying colors and patterns supposedly help the bees orient to their hive entrance and reduce drifting. I was happy how it turned out when we installed it on the exterior wall of the Bee House.…
…but then had to re-side and paint the rest of the (long) wall to match! (Another note to self: Every project takes three times longer to do than you think it will!)
Gabeebo
Then, of course, we had to have a Gabeebo built…
…so we can sip our ice tea and watch the bees.
Finished Bee House - Interior
View looking towards Honey House View looking towards the exterior door
Finished Bee House - Exterior
Before After
Finished Bee House - Exterior
Before After
Finished Bee House - Exterior
Before After
Finished Bee House - Exterior
Before After
Honey House
Before After
Advantages of AZ Hive Beekeeping
• Heaviest thing you lift is a comb of honey.
• Beekeeper is indoors, in the shade.
• Hives and bees are protected from the elements.
Advantages of AZ Hive Beekeeping
• Heaviest thing you lift is a comb of honey.
• Beekeeper is indoors, in the shade.
• Hives and bees are protected from the elements.
• Wheelchair accessible beekeeping.
Advantages of AZ Hive Beekeeping
• Heaviest thing you lift is a comb of honey.
• Beekeeper is indoors, in the shade.
• Hives and bees are protected from the elements.
• Wheelchair accessible beekeeping.
• You can check on your bees and refill your supplemental feeding in any weather without risk of robbing or suiting up.
Advantages of AZ Hive Beekeeping
• Heaviest thing you lift is a comb of honey.
• Beekeeper is indoors, in the shade.
• Hives and bees are protected from the elements.
• Wheelchair accessible beekeeping.
• You can check on your bees and refill your supplemental feeding in any weather without risk of robbing or suiting up.
• In the winter, you can treat, check mite board, add sugar patties and check hive status without cracking open the hive and chilling the brood.
Advantages of AZ Hive Beekeeping• Heaviest thing you lift is a comb of honey.
• Beekeeper is indoors, in the shade.
• Hives and bees are protected from the elements.
• Wheelchair accessible beekeeping.
• You can check on your bees and refill your supplemental feeding in any weather without risk of robbing or suiting up.
• In the winter, you can treat, check mite board, add sugar patties and check hives status without cracking open the hive and chilling the brood.
• Can be bear proof.
• Great for urban beekeepers as not as noticeable to neighbors or vandals.
• Can incorporate ½” PEX pipe entrances to help prevent wasp/yellow jacket/honey bee robbing.
Disadvantages of AZ Beekeeping• Available in two, three and four
box variations. Typically you do not add honey supers, so honey (and swarm) management is more intensive.
• Not portable (for commercial pollination) unless built into a trailer/truck.
• Difficult to clean the bottom as there is not a removable bottom board.
• Poor compatibility with some Langstroth equipment, though standard foundation and extractors can be used with “American sized” AZ hives and frames.
Innovators and dreamers..... thinkers of thoughts and swingers of hammers, welcome. :) I started this group after discovering how amazing, innovative and generous Beekeepers are. You should congratulate yourselve
AZ/Slovenian Hive Resources
• Suzanne Brouillette (Traditional Slovenian Hives and Beekeeping Tours to Slovenia)
Slovenian Beekeeping
321 Chesham Rd, Harrisville, NH 03450
603-499-3730
http://www.slovenianbeekeeping.com
• TheBeeShop.com (professional cabinet shop that manufactures “American sized” AZ hives and frames) makes the Drebbieville AZ Hive. These are the hives we installed.
Dawsonville, Georgia
www.TheBeeShop.com
https://www.drebbievillehives.com/video-gallery.html
AZ/Slovenian Hive Resources
Facebook group sites:AZ Hivers
This is an educational group for anyone interested in learning about beekeeping with the Slovenian AŽ Hive. Through documenting the progress of our (and others') AŽ Hives, our intention is to help AŽ beekeepers avoid mistakes and to develop the most effective methods for maintaining them in North America or elsewhere.
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AZ hive creators.
A place to design and build AZ hives
• WA State Resources:Kay Crawford (Onalaska, WA)
360-880-0663
www.BeeInspiredGarden.com
Debra Langley-Boyer (Kitsap Peninsula, WA)
Dana Schack (Poulsbo, WA) Source for imported
hinges and spacers.
www.normankeepartisans.com
.